The One He Targets
by bittersweetsomebody
Summary: James and Lily Potter have survived an attack by Lord Voldemort, but that doesn't mean that the Dark Lord is defeated. With Voldemort ravaging the lives of those throughout the wizarding world and James and Lily's first son, Harry, beginning school at Hogwarts, life is just a bit overwhelming. AU.
1. The Prophecy

**So...I decided I wanted to start something new...and I don't really have much to say about it. I've let the idea boil in my head a bit, and I've got some ideas brewing there...so we'll see where this goes! If you don't like short chapters...I apologize. To be honest, most of these chapters will probably be shorter because a) shorter chapters are more my style b) I find it difficult to write in ginormous blocks of words, and c) I, personally, enjoy reading shorter chapters more...and now I've rambled on for too long. ENJOY!**

**Oh, and a disclaimer...everything is JKR's of course**

"You have your trunk?" Lily Potter knelt down on her kitchen floor and placed her hands firmly on her son Harry's shoulders.

Harry nodded.

"And your owl? All of your books?"

"Yes, mum," Harry mumbled.

"How about your cauldron? Your telescope?"

"Mum," Harry rolled his eyes, "I've packed everything. I'm ready to go."

"Ready to leave, are we?" Lily's husband, James, strolled into the kitchen. Both of his hands were placed awkwardly behind his back, and there was something clasped between them. "You can't go without this, Harry, can you?"

From behind his back, James pulled out a brand new broom, a Nimbus 2000, the exact one Harry had pointed out in Diagon Alley a few weeks prior.

"Dad!" Harry's eyes grew wide and he left his mother's side to take a look at the broom. The wood had a red tint to it and was well-polished, and on the end of the broom, the words _Nimbus 2000_ were engraved in beautiful golden calligraphy. "Is this really for me? Where did you get the money for this?"

James smiled sheepishly, looking past his son and into Lily's eyes. "I couldn't help myself," his eyes seemed to say.

"Harry, dear," Lily called for her son's attention. "I'm terribly sorry, Harry, but the list specifically says that no brooms are allowed for first years."

Harry's smile dropped. "But why not, Mum?" he begged. "Can't you _please_ talk to Dumbledore? I'm sure he'd agree."

Lily was unwavering. She still knelt on the ground, but the power in her voice made her appear taller than both Harry and James. "Dumbledore would most certainly _not_ agree, Harry, and it's wrong of you to think that he'd make an exception for you. No broom. Now, you said you were ready. We should be off to King's Cross."

* * *

The three Potters stood on platform Nine and Three Quarters, staring at the massive train before them.

"You'll write me?" Harry asked nervously.

"Every day if you'd like," Lily smiled down at him.

"Well," Harry smiled back, "maybe not _that_ often."

"I'm sure you'll do fabulous at school, dear," Lily said. "And I'm sure you'll make the Quidditch team…even without your broom."

Lily kissed Harry softly on the forehead and James wrapped Harry in a bear hug.

"Listen, Harry," he knelt down and whispered to his son, "Hogwarts is great. Gryffindor is the best house you could get sorted into, so I'm sure you'll be happy there. You have all of the characteristics of a Gryffindor in you, just like your mum and I. I'm sure you'll do great. Listen, though. Don't get completely caught up in your schoolwork. It's okay if you have fun every once in awhile, understand?" James winked and patted Harry on the shoulder.

The train whistle blew, and with that, Harry was off, jumping onto the Hogwarts Express. The last glance Lily and James had of their son was of him waving out the window alongside a red-haired boy.

"Must be a Weasley," James muttered.

* * *

"Lily, he'll be perfectly fine," James coaxed his wife as they sat on a dusty old couch in the living room of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. "Hogwarts is the safest place he could be. It's safer than our home, and it's safer than here."

Lily plopped a kiss on James' mouth just as Sirius Black strolled into the room, placing three cups of butterbeer on the coffee table in front of James and Lily. He sat down in an old, elegant chair across from the couple and lounged there, flicking his long black hair out of his face. "As much as I regret breaking up a show, I didn't ask the two of you here to watch you snog."

Lily blushed.

"The Dark Lord is gaining more power," Sirius said, getting straight to the point. That's how he always was. He cut to the chase. Didn't beat around the edges for too long. It was effective. James took note.

"Padfoot, we've known that for eleven years," James said. "What makes it so urgent now?"

"It's always been urgent, mate," said Sirius. "But now…now he's putting his plans into action. More so than before, that is. I…I think that soon, he'll begin targeting Harry. I haven't spoken to Dumbledore yet, but I have a hunch he'll feel the same way."

James leaned forward, placing a hand on Lily's knee. "Why would he want to target Harry?"

Sirius shrugged and sighed, wiping his hand across his unshaved cheek. "I dunno, mate," he said. "I dunno."

"If you don't know," James said through clenched teeth, "then why did you ask us here?"

Sirius' eyes searched the room, flicking from one corner to the next, finding anything to rest on—anything but James and Lily. "I've talked to Remus," he mumbled, his voice barely audible. "He isn't well. But I met with him the other day in Hogsmeade just before the full moon. I still keep watch on him occasionally, you know." Sirius' face gleamed with sweat, and his flicking eyes couldn't seem to relax.

"Cut to the chase, Padfoot," hissed James. This was unlike Sirius. Why was he stalling? "If this is as urgent as you make it out to be, we should be planning for action rather than sitting here sweating over an explanation."

Sirius swallowed dryly. "Moony went to the Hog's Head the day before I apparated to Hogsmeade. McGonagall was sitting in a corner talking to Aberforth—you all remember Aberforth—and I guess they didn't think much of what they were talking about because Remus said he could hear them from across the room. Then again, Remus does have extraordinary hearing—" Sirius winked—"and he heard them…well, he heard them talking about a prophecy. One that would soon come to light. He claimed they'd said it involved You-Know-Who, and the other name they'd listed off…it was Harry's."

"A prophecy?" said Lily doubtfully, "do you honestly believe in the art of divination, Sirius?"

Sirius laughed ruefully. "I wouldn't take my chances in these times, Lily."

Lily frowned. Sirius was right. She couldn't afford to falsify the prophecy, only to find out the truth of the matter and end up regretting her lack of planning beforehand. Still, the credibility of a prophecy was a lot to ride on. "Are you positive that McGonnagal was talking about _our_ son? How do we know if the prophecy is true or not?"

"We can't be sure of anything at this point, but, like I said, it's not a time to be taking chances. We need to plan for this. We need to start now. We need to get the Order together and—"

"Padfoot," James interrupted. "The Order has been split for years. We can't just expect all of them to return to us after such a large gap in time."

Sirius furrowed his brows. "We'll have to try."

James nodded. "Lily," he said, standing from the sofa and holding a hand out to his wife, "I agree with Sirius. I don't want to lose Harry, and it's better to be safe than sorry."

Lily nodded. "What now?" she directed the question at no one in particular.

"First," said James, "we need to talk to McGonagall about this prophecy."

**So there's that...favorite, follow, review, all of the above! **


	2. What Happened Then

**Wow. It's been over a month since I've updated this. But now finals are over, school is out, and I actually have time on my hands. Hopefully I'll be updating more frequently now that I have nothing to do.**

_October 31, 1981_

"James!" Sirius threw the front door open, slamming it against the wall to his right. "James, mate, are you here?" He ran through the entryway, through the kitchen, and through the living room. "Lily? James? " he shouted. "Is anyone home?"

Sirius pounded up the stairs, sweat beading on his face. "This isn't funny, Prongs," he screamed in panic, "where are you?"

Sirius stopped at the door to Harry's room at the end of the hall. Through the open crack of the door, Sirius could see clothes strewn about the floor and trinkets knocked off of Harry's dresser and bedside table.

"James?" Sirius whispered. "Lily?" He creaked the door open slowly, and a loud thud caused him to jump. He'd hit something.

Breathing heavily, Sirius wedged himself through the door, closed it, and gasped at what was on the other side.

"Lily?" he said in shock, staring down at the still body of his friend. Blood ringed her forehead and coated her right leg. She was paler than the moon. "Oh, Merlin." Sirius' eyes darted to the crib on the far side of the room and found a tearless Harry standing up, clutching the bars of his crib like a pained prisoner. Sirius ambled slowly to the edge of the crib, reached over, and grabbed Harry into his arms. He then proceeded to the front of the room, knelt at Lily's side, rocked Harry in his arms, and began to sob. "I'm sorry, Lily," he wept, "I'm so sorry."

"_Stupefy!_" came a familiar voice.

Harry was ripped from his arms as Sirius was blown back against the far wall, Harry's crib crushing beneath him. "_Expelliarmus!" _Sirius shouted.

Sirius could hear the mystery person's wand hit the wall in the hallway, and all was quiet. A green light began to glow, and Sirius' eyes grew wide.

The door banged open, revealing James, who shouted, "_Avada Ke—"_

"Stop!" Sirius screeched, "Prongs, wait!"

James lowered his wand.

"It's me, James," Sirius said. "It's Padfoot." Sirius lifted himself up from the wreckage and began walking closer to James.

"Don't move," James said, lifting his wand again and pointing it toward Sirius' throat.

Sirius put his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "I'm not going to hurt you, Prongs. What happened?"

"What happened," James squawked, "is that my wife was just slaughtered by You-Know-Who." James' composure began to break. "So if you expect me to believe that you are Sirius Black, you're going to have to prove it to me."

Sirius stood still, his legs poised firmly but calmly, his arms still up in the air. "Listen to me, Prongs, you're disoriented. You're—"

"Shut up!" James barked. "You're either going to prove to me who you are, or you're going to get out of my house before I change my mind and kill you."

"James, I swear it's me," said Sirius calmly, "I swear it is. We made the map together, mate. We learned how to become animagi. I was your best man at your wedding. When I ran away, your parents let me stay at your house. It's me, James, I promise you."

A muffled squeak sounded from the corner of the room, and both men's heads snapped toward the noise. Lily's chest rose and fell, and Sirius' heart leapt with relief.

James rushed to his wife's side, repeating her name over and over. "Sirius, I need help," he said.

Sirius jogged across the small room and knelt at Lily's side, as did James. "Who the bloody hell gave you up? Who told?"

"Pettigrew," James muttered matter-of-factly. Sirius nearly choked on air. James wiped sweat from his face and gripped his wand tightly, preparing for a series of healing charms to perform on Lily. "Who else would it be? The bloody traitor was our secret keeper."

Sirius stood purposefully, snatched his wand off the floor, and stalked out the door.

Harry sat unnoticed next to a broken mirror on the ground.

"Padfoot!" Sirius could hear James call behind him. "Padfoot, where're you going?" a series of footsteps followed James' words, and just as Sirius lowered his foot on the first step of the stairs, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sirius spun around.

"I'll kill him," Sirius blurted. "I'll kill Pettigrew."

James shook his head. "He's not worth it."

"He gave you and Lily up to You-Know-Who! Lily's almost dead, James! And you're saying that it isn't _worth it_?"

"No," said James. "Padfoot, right now what's worth it is keeping Lily and Harry safe. Please. Can you help me with that?"

Sirius hesitated. "Where's Remus?" he said suddenly.

James seemed taken aback by the question. "I don't know," he stuttered, "I—I haven't seen him in weeks. Why?"

"What if You-Know-Who went after him too?" Sirius said.

"I hadn't thought about that." James began walking back toward Harry's room.

"What do we do?" asked Sirius.

"First," said James, "we get Lily and Harry somewhere safe. Then we go find Remus."

The duo marched back into the bedroom and proceeded to heal Lily until she was in a stable state. She was unconscious, Sirius noted, but unconscious was better than dead.

James lifted Lily up into his arms, and Sirius lifted Harry into his. "How do we get out of here?" Sirius asked.

"We can't apparate," James said. "There're charms on the house, and even if we were to leave, I wouldn't want to risk splinching. And You-Know-Who probably has Death Eaters watching the floo network."

"We can't use brooms," said Sirius. "That's fairly obvious."

"What're you talking about, Padfoot?" said James innocently. "I'm sure we can fit two grown men, an unconscious woman, and a squirming baby on my cheap broom."

Sirius smiled sadly. "My motorcycle is outside," he said. "I hid it in the bushes. I'd almost forgotten."

James nodded. "Here's what we'll do. You take Harry on the motorcycle. I'll stay here with Lily. I'll charm the place and make sure Lily stays stable."

"One more thing, Prongs," Sirius said.

"What's that?"

"Where am I taking him?" Harry squirmed in Sirius' arms, but the wizard held him firmly.

James held up a finger, fumbled around through the rubbish on the floor, and pulled from the wreckage a piece of paper and a quill. He scribbled something down, handed it to Sirius, and shoved him out of the room.

Sirius jogged down the stairs, stumbled out the front door, shuffled around in the bushes, and finally revealed his motorcycle. He plopped Harry securely in front of him, started up the vehicle, and opened the piece of paper James had given him. Sirius' eyebrows furrowed. This couldn't be the right address. But where else did he have to go? He glanced down once more at the piece of parchment.

_Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey_, it read.

**Thanks for reading, guys! Favorite, follow, and REVIEW! Any comments, ideas, and critiques are welcome.**


	3. Potions Class

_Present Day_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

"Harry!" Ron called for his new friend. "Harry, wait up!"

Harry stopped in his tracks and turned around to find Ron sprinting toward him, yelling Harry's name and sweating profusely.

"You didn't wait for me," Ron said between shallow breaths. "I was in the Herbology room…waiting for you. And I didn't realize that you'd already left."

Harry made a quick apology and explained that he hadn't left Ron purposefully, but had attempted to follow in his footsteps, thinking that Ron had already left the classroom.

The boys walked together to their next class, Potions, with their stomachs in their throats. "I don't know if I can go back there," Ron said timidly.

"Oh, come on, Ron," coaxed Harry, "it wasn't so bad yesterday. The professor was just trying to intimidate us, is all."

"Right," Ron mumbled. "It wasn't the intimidation factor I was worried about," he said. "It was the fact that you were constantly picked on." Ron rolled his eyes. "And that girl. The smart, show-off-y one?"

"You mean Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, her," Ron grunted.

"I thought she was nice," Harry said, perplexed. He'd appreciated how Hermione had gotten him out of the question he'd been asked. After all, if he didn't know the answer, why should someone else be ridiculed for knowing it? Harry knew that Ron just saw an annoying, frizzy-haired girl who knew more than he did, but Harry could tell that Hermione was only trying to fit in. She was a muggle-born, after all, and had plenty of Slytherins after her. Maybe that's why she looked so tense, Harry thought. The Potions Master was the head of Slytherin house, after all.

"Nice?" Ron laughed. "Please," he said, "she was annoying! And she had frizzy hair."

Harry rolled his eyes. As if frizzy hair was the only reason not to like someone.

Ron stopped at the entrance to the dungeon. He gulped.

"Come on," Harry grumbled, taking Ron by the elbow and dragging him into the classroom.

The duo stood at a table, waiting for more students to file in to the classroom. Finally, class began, and the Potions Master began a brief speech.

"Today, we're brewing a skin-clearing potion," giggled the Potions Master, Professor Merritt. "Supplies are in the cupboards." She motioned toward a rinky-dink cabinet in the corner of the room. The supply of ingredients, Harry noticed, was lacking in both size and complexity, making the class seem that much less impressive.

"See?" Harry whispered to Ron, "She isn't intimidating. She's…simple."

"She wasn't like that the last time," Ron muttered.

"Maybe you just saw it differently because we're in a dungeon," Harry said.

"I swear she had claws," grumbled Ron.

Harry examined Professor Merritt's fingernails, noting that they most certainly were _not_ claws. They were a little long and grimy, but to mistake them for claws would have been to mistake a stuffed teddy bear for a live wolf. Her hair was in dirty blonde knots, and her face was covered in grime. Harry feared getting closer to her for two reasons, the first being her inevitable body odor, and the second being her overly bubbly personality. He supposed it was fitting, though, for a Potions Master to have a bubbly character. Harry chuckled to himself. Only when Professor Merritt's mouth stopped moving and multiple groans sounded throughout the classroom did Harry realize that she'd been addressing the class while he'd been addressing her grotesque looks.

"What did she say?" Harry whispered to Ron, who looked rather green in the face.

"She's assigned us partners," Ron said, looking as if he were about to throw up.

"What's the matter with you?" Harry snapped.

"I think I know who she put me with," moaned Ron.

After Professor Merritt had finished calling off names, Ron was beaming. "Sorry, mate," he said as he walked off to join Dean Thomas, his assigned partner. "I guess she decided you were more of a fit with Hermione than I was." And he walked off.

Harry didn't mind that the professor had given him Hermione as a partner. In fact, maybe it would put him at an advantage. After all, Harry thought Hermione was practically a genius, and he'd only known her for three days.

"I'll get the ingredients," Harry heard Hermione say, "and you can get the tools ready."

Harry nodded, and proceeded to the cupboard in the corner to retrieve the tools needed for the potion. As he was stumbling through the crowd of students, making his way back toward his table, he noticed Seamus Finnegan, one of his new friends, across the room, partnered with an eager Hufflepuff.

Harry didn't like the fact that each class was shared with another house. After all, wasn't the point of the four houses to create comfortable groups for students to be a part of? At least that's how he'd interpreted it. Oh, well. At least they had Potions with the Hufflepuffs rather than the Slytherins.

"What're you staring at?" he heard Hermione snap behind him.

"Nothing," Harry muttered.

"You were staring at Neville Longbottom, weren't you?" she said accusingly.

"Long-who?" Harry's confusion showed.

"Neville Longbottom," Hermione repeated. "The Hufflepuff boy over there by Seamus. You were staring at him."

"I was just thinking," Harry said, "that maybe he should prepare himself. You know, since Seamus blew up that feather in Charms class and all."

Hermione snorted. "Neville won't need any help from Seamus. He's too smart for that."

"Is he as smart as you are?" Harry slapped his hand over his mouth after the words had left it involuntarily.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. She said nothing.

Throughout the class, Harry kept watching Neville. Hermione constantly reprimanded him to focus more on their potion than on other classmates. It wasn't fair to her, she said, to have to do all of the work when they were getting the same grade. Still, Harry stared. He couldn't say why. Maybe it was the tortured look Neville had in his eyes. Maybe it was his intelligence. After an entire class of mindlessly brewing a potion, Harry had come to the conclusion that Neville was smart. Maybe even smarter than Hermione. Maybe. And Neville knew what he was doing, too. His parents had taught him well, he supposed.

Potions was there last class of the day, and afterward Ron explained that his class with Dean had been great, then apologized again that Harry had gotten stuck with Hermione.

"She really isn't so bad," Harry tried to convince his friend as they were walking back to the Gryffindor common room for a quick stop before dinner. "She just wants to get a good grade. I think she's a bit jealous of Seamus' partner."

"Who, the Hufflepuff kid?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry said. "Neville." After a pause, Harry continued. "What do you think of him?"

"Who, Neville?" Ron asked. "I don't know, I guess he's okay. I've barely even talked to him."

"He's smart," Harry said, "but there's something weird about him."

"You could say that about just about anyone, mate," said Ron.

Harry shrugged, and the boys walked in silence the rest of the way to the common room.

**Hope you enjoyed it, and please REVIEW! Reviews = motivation, which means more chapters.**


	4. The Seeker

**Quick note: In the last chapter, I put in "present day" as the timing of the story, but I realized that it really made no sense to have done that, considering HP takes place in the '90s. SO from now on, I'll have more accurate dates for you guys. And thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming!**

_October, 1991 _

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

"What do you, mean, Ronald," huffed Harry, "by 'there's no way you'll make the team'?"

"I'm just saying," shrugged Ron, opening the door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, "that a first year hasn't made the Quidditch team for a century. I'm not saying you're no good—I'd bed you're amazing, considering who your dad is and all—but you're a _first year_, Harry. All I mean is…don't be disappointed if Wood doesn't let you on the team."

"Wood?" Harry said. "Is that a nickname?"

Ron shook his head. "That's his last name. Oliver Wood. He's the captain of the Gryffindor team. Took over for my brother Charlie, he did."

"So you know him?" Harry asked hopefully. Maybe Ron could introduce him. If Harry got chummy with Oliver Wood, he _had_ to let Harry on the team.

"Not really," Ron said sadly. "I mean, I met him once, but that was a couple years back." _Well_, thought Harry, _there_ _goes any chance I have at becoming Oliver's friend_.

Harry sat down in a chair near the middle of the classroom. Ron followed suit. "There's no way I'm going to make that team," he said, "is there?"

Ron shrugged, having felt guilty for ruining his friend's hopes. "Maybe you'll be the exception."

"Come on, Ron, there hasn't been a first year on the team in a _century_. You said so yourself."

"Even the lack of first years on Quidditch teams must come to an end, Harry."

Harry laughed. "You sounded like Professor McGonagall when she gave that awful lecture the other day."

"Did I really?" Ron beamed.

"Yes," said Harry. "It sounded falsely profound."

"Nice vocabulary," Ron applauded his friend. After a pause, he said, "If we keep this up, we'll start sounding like Hermione."

"Or Neville," Harry noted.

"C-c-class has c-commenced," Professor Quirrell clapped his hands.

Harry could hear Draco Malfoy, the cocky Slytherin boy he'd come to loathe, snicker across the room. He did this every time Professor Quirrell stuttered. Why couldn't he just give the teacher a break? It wasn't his fault, after all.

As Professor Quirrell began his lesson in defending oneself against the Curse of the Bogies, something that sounded remarkably stupid to Harry, Harry couldn't help but notice Draco trying to blow his nose on the draping cloth hanging off the back of Quirrell's turban every time the professor passed his desk. He received a few laughs from some of the other Slytherins, but most Gryffindors who noticed Malfoy's disrespect disapproved. Except maybe Ron.

"Can't we get out of here already?" Ron muttered to Harry. "I'm about to fall asleep. Who cares if I know how to deflect a charm that's going to make me sneeze a whole lot?"

Harry shrugged. "Maybe it'll come in handy at some point."

Ron snorted.

"You never know," said Harry.

After several minutes of trying to focus on Professor Quirrell's less-than-intriguing lecture, Harry gave up. He let his thoughts roam to Quidditch tryouts, which were taking place later that day.

Harry had to admit he was a good Quidditch player. He wasn't as great as his dad, not by any means, but he was still good. He was so worried that he wouldn't make the team. He remembered his dad encouraging him before he'd left for Hogwarts and felt a rush of anxiety. Gosh, that seemed like ages ago. Had it only been a little over a month?

At the same time, Harry couldn't believe that it was already October. Before he knew it, he'd be home for the summer with his mum and dad, ready to enter his second year at Hogwarts.

Harry wondered who else would make the team. Ron had explained that his twin brothers, Fred and George, who were in their third year, made the team last year. They were both Beaters, and Ron had no doubt that they'd make the team again. If Harry remembered correctly, Wood was the Keeper for the team. That only left a few positions. Harry almost wanted to try out for Chaser, but decided against it. He didn't want to be compared to his father in yet another way.

He thought for a moment.

Three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker. Harry went through the positions in his head, then each ball. Two Bludgers, a Quaffle, and a Snitch. Harry couldn't be a Chaser because his father had been one, and he couldn't be a Beater because he didn't want to steal Fred and George's positions. He didn't think he'd get the position if he tried out against two third years anyway, especially two who had been on the team before. Harry sighed. He couldn't be Keeper. That was Wood's position. That only left one position to try for.

Seeker.

"Ron," Harry whispered in the middle of Quirrell's lesson, "I think I know what I'll try out for."

"This isn't a great time for conversation," Ron said through clenched teeth. "Did you completely miss the last five minutes of class?"

"What happened?" Harry asked.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Quirrell caught Malfoy sneezing in his turban and sent him straight to Professor Merritt's office. I've heard she has awful punishments."

Harry glanced over at Malfoy's desk. It was empty. He shook his head. "If we get caught, he'll send us to McGonagall. She's our Head of House. Really, the only thing the other teachers can do is take away our house points."

"And you want to lose the House Cup to Slytherin?" Ron whispered incredulously.

"Really, Ron," whispered Harry, "what difference is five points going to make?"

* * *

Later that day, Harry found himself on the Quidditch Pitch, Ron trailing behind him timidly. Harry strutted confidently up to Oliver Wood and placed his hands firmly on his hips. He heard a few chuckles from the other Gryffindors trying out for the team, and even a few snickers from the few observers. "I want to try out for Seeker," Harry said.

Wood cracked a smile. "You're the Potter boy, aren't you?" he said. "You look exactly like your dad. I met him a few years ago at a rally. That was before I got my Hogwarts letter."

Harry grunted. He hated when people mentioned how much he looked like his father. Sure, it was nice to be recognized, but Harry wished he had some feature of his own that would stand out. But he had nothing. No birth marks, no scars, no awkward deformations. He was a clone of his father—except for his eyes. Those were his mother's.

Even more than his looks, though, Harry hated when people mentioned the rallies. Harry knew that the war against You-Know-Who wasn't over, and he knew that his parents were a big part of keeping alive both the terror of reality and the hope of victory, but You-Know-Who had been in hiding for years, and as far as Harry was concerned, he didn't figure the wizard would plan on putting anything into action anytime soon.

"So," Wood said, filling in the silence that Harry hadn't realized had been there, "Seeker?"

Harry nodded. "I can't try out for Chaser because—"

Wood raised his hand in a stopping motion. "No need to explain," he said. "Let's get you suited up. And you can borrow a classroom broom."

As Harry walked away with Wood to get ready, he heard whispers and giggles behind him.

"Ten Sickles says he'll fall off his broom," a girl said.

"Fifteen Sickles says he'll make the team," someone else shouted. Harry turned around just in time to see a dark-skinned girl and one of the Weasley twins exchanging bets. Harry grinned to himself.

* * *

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_You won't believe the day I've had! I woke up and ate breakfast in the Great Hall, as usual, then I went to all of my classes. DADA was especially interesting today because that stupid prat Draco Malfoy got caught sneezing into the cloth on the back of Professor Quirrell's turban. He got sent to Professor Merritt's office, and I'm not quite sure what happened after that, but I've heard some people say she put the Curse of the Bogies on him to teach him a lesson. I think it would have been better if she'd made a troll or something foul like that sneeze right on his face. But we don't have trolls here, so I guess that wouldn't have worked out too well. Anyway, after that, I went straight to the Quidditch Pitch with Ron. Today were Quidditch tryouts, in case I forgot to mention that in my last letter. I decided I would try out for Seeker. It was basically the only open spot anyway. Ron didn't try out at all. He didn't think he'd make the team. At first, a girl named Angelina Johnson—she's a third year—bet that I would fall off my broom. Then Ron's brother George bet that I'd make the team. Oliver Wood just posted the team in the common room, and before I could even check, I saw Angelina hand over 15 whole Sickles to George Weasley! Can you believe it? Our first match is sometime in November, and it's against Hufflepuff. I can't believe I'm the new Gryffindor Quidditch team Seeker! The first first year on the team in over a century! Write back soon._

_Love,_

_ Harry_

**Thanks for reading! and more reviews = more motivation = more chapters sooner!**


	5. The Forest

_Late October, 1991_

_Number 12, Grimmauld Place_

"Lily!" James called out, running down the stairs.

"Mudbloods! Filth! Scum!" This was shouted by the clearly unhappy portrait of Mrs. Black.

James burst into the kitchen clutching a piece of parchment to find Lily and Sirius both eating bowls of a curious soup for lunch. Sirius, whose chair was facing James, glanced at the piece of paper and smiled, while Lily, whose chair was not, swiveled her torso around to see her husband.

"I've got an idea," James grinned.

"That's nice, sweetheart," said Lily softly. "Couldn't you tell us over a bowl of soup? We were waiting for you."

"No, no," James said excitedly, walking up to the table next to Lily's chair and slamming the piece of paper down on it. The paper appeared crumpled and slightly damp, due to James' sweaty palms.

"What is that?" Lily asked.

"It's a letter," Sirius answered happily for James.

"It isn't _just_ a letter," said James, grinning to his ears. "It's a letter from Harry."

Lily rested her elbow on the table and put her forehead to her hand. "James, dear, we get letters from Harry nearly every week."

"Yes," James said hopefully, "but this one is different. Read the last line." James moved the paper toward Lily, who let out a long breath as she slid it closer to her.

"'_I can't believe I'm the new…Gryffindor Quidditch team Seeker!_'" Lily read in excitement, "'_The first first year on the team in over a century!_' James, this is wonderful!"

"I know," James smiled, "I know it is."

Sirius coughed. "So, Prongs, how about that idea of yours?"

"Right," said James. "I was thinking, since Harry made the team, it wouldn't be suspicious if we tried to get into the castle to see the first match."

"James, there is no way they're letting us anywhere near the school grounds. You-Know-Who is coming to power again. If we've known that for a month, there's no way it's gone unnoticed by Dumbledore. He wouldn't let anyone in school grounds, even parents, in a time like this," reasoned Lily.

James shook his head, taking a seat in a chair at the head of the table. "We aren't going to Hogwarts to see Harry play Quidditch," he said. "We're going to Hogwarts to talk to McGonnagall about that prophecy."

"We can't get into Hogwarts, James, I've just explained that," said Lily impatiently.

Sirius grinned from across the table. "I may be able to help with that," he said.

* * *

_Early November, 1991_

_Number 12, Grimmauld Place_

"Floo powder," said James. "That's what we were forgetting. Merlin, I don't see how we're going to succeed at this if we can't even remember the blooming floo powder."

The trio had had three weeks to make a plan before the first Quidditch match at Hogwarts. James and Sirius reasoned that it would be the best time to sneak into the castle because everyone would be distracted by the game, even the professors. Eventually, they convinced Lily of this, though she argued that writing a letter would be just as effective.

"Ah, but it wouldn't be as fun," Sirius had said.

After three weeks of anticipation, they were finally ready to put their plan into action. "You ready, Padfoot?" James asked.

"Ready as ever, Prongs," Sirius grinned.

Lily just rolled her eyes, still hesitant about the whole idea. Still, she grabbed James hand and let him pull her into the fireplace behind him.

"Hogsmeade," James shouted clearly. In an instant, the couple was flying out of a fireplace in the Three Broomsticks pub, covered in soot. They landed on their backs a few feet from the fireplace.

James heard a muffled scream and saw Madam Rosmerta, the landlady of the pub, jump up behind the bar and grasp a glass so tightly that James thought it could have broken from the pressure. "Who are you?" Madam Rosmerta said defensively, holding the glass out in front of her as a weapon.

James sat up and glanced around. The pub was empty.

"Don't move!" Madam Rosmerta shouted shakily.

James wiped the soot off his face, making himself recognizable. Madam Rosmerta relaxed and lowered her glass. "Merlin, James Potter. Never have I been more terrified in my life."

A whooshing noise picked up, and Rosmerta looked around like a cat looking for a mouse, poising herself and clutching her glass again.

Moments later, Sirius emerged from the fireplace, his feet ramming into James' lower back. Sirius wiped the soot off of his face and stood up. Lily stood up after him, wiping the grime from her own face, and James stood after her. He bowed his thanks to Madam Rosmerta, who stared open-mouthed at the trio as they backed their way out of the pub, wands at the ready.

"Where to, Padfoot?" asked James.

Sirius paused for a moment before saying, "the Forbidden Forest."

"Of course that's where we're going," muttered Lily. "I married a lunatic."

"An adventurous lunatic, love," James bent over and kissed Lily on the forehead.

* * *

"He should be near here," Sirius said as they all stood next to a particularly large oak tree somewhere in the Forbidden Forest.

"What I wouldn't give to have the Map right now," groaned James.

"The Map?" questioned Lily.

"_Our_ Map," confirmed Sirius.

"You have a Map?" Lily almost shouted. "Why haven't we been using it?"

"We _had_ a Map," Sirius corrected. "The Marauder's Map."

Lily sighed heavily. "I thought the four of you would stop at nicknames and becoming animagi, but evidently there's a Map too. Anything else you'd care to share, James?"

"Lily," James said defensively, "I didn't tell you about the Map because Sirius lost it in our seventh year. We'd just finished it, and about the fifth time we'd put it to use, he lost it."

"What kind of a map was it?" Lily asked, crossing her arms.

"It showed every room and passageway of Hogwarts," said Sirius proudly. "And what's better, it showed everyone and everything on the grounds and there whereabouts."

"No wonder you would show up out of nowhere during seventh year. You always knew where I was," Lily said to herself.

"It was great," James said, reminiscing.

"It sounds slightly repulsive," scolded Lily.

James and Sirius exchanged a glance. It must've been an off day for Lily. She usually wasn't so irritable.

"Back to the problem at hand," Sirius said. He then began a series of howling noises, cupping his hands over his mouth and tilting his head up for effect.

"Padfoot, I don't think howling will make a difference," James chuckled. "It's the middle of the day, and the full moon isn't for another week or so anyhow."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Sirius asked.

"This was your plan, mate," James said. "I figured you had it all down pat."

"Have you met me?" Sirius laughed. "Do I seem like the type of person who would have anything 'down pat'?"

Lily giggled, much to both men's surprise.

Sirius tried howling once more, but was cut short by Lily slapping his hands away from his mouth.

"Don't make a fool of yourself, Sirius," she said. "Remus isn't going to come strolling along simply because you've howled at him."

"I suppose you've got a better idea?" Sirius challenged.

"As a matter of fact, I do," sniffed Lily. "We should go to Hagrid's hut."

James thought the idea was marvelous, but Sirius was reluctant to admit that Lily's plan was better than his own. He didn't feel as though his entire plan should be discarded because he'd made one slip up.

"The plan won't be thrown out just because of the howling, Padfoot," James assured his friend. "Once we find Moony, your plot will resume as arranged."

That made Sirius feel a bit better. Merlin, he really did act like a dog sometimes. It was in his walk, in his talk, and in his thoughts and feelings. He needed the approval and assurance of a friend before he could proceed with anything, much as a dog needed.

Everyone's eyes were on the lookout as they made their way through the forest and toward Hagrid's hut. Sirius led the way, as he'd been visiting Remus more often than James or Lily had, and so knew the area better. Only when an all-too-familiar crunch sounded on the forest floor did Sirius stop in his tracks. "Wands out," he said.

The trio stood back-to-back, circling around, each of them facing a different direction.

Sirius knew they shouldn't have traveled this way, but it was the quickest way to get through to Hagrid's hut. He figured the odds of them being here was a slim chance, and it was. They just happened to be the unlucky trio to find their path interrupted.

"Sirius," Lily whispered, "what exactly is in this part of the woods?"

A clopping noise sounded from nearby, followed by an arrow that struck the tree to the right of Sirius. He gulped. "Centaurs," he said.

James pulled Lily close to him, but Lily shooed him off, claiming she wasn't defenseless. That much was true. Sirius stood behind the two, poised with his wand at the ready.

"You should not be here," came a voice from the shadows.

"We had no choice but to travel this way." Sirius' lip quivered as the words came from his mouth. His last run-in with the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest hadn't been particularly pleasant.

"What is your business?"

"We mean you no harm, Firenze," Sirius said. "We're passing through."

"My brothers may not see it that way," said the centaur.

"I understand," said Sirius. "However, if you could pay me this favor of passage, I can have Remus return your debt in some way."

James noted how intelligent Sirius sounded when he was talking to the centaurs. James wished he'd make more of an effort to talk like that around Lily. She'd love him if he seemed so smart all the time.

"It is not my right of passage to offer," said Firenze gently. "But I will let you pass for a hint of knowledge. You carry a secret with you. I wish to know what it is."

Silence filled the forest and another arrow flew through the air, this time hitting the tree to the left of Sirius.

"Hold your fire!" shouted Firenze to the centaurs hiding among them. "These are friends." Then, to the trio, "I am not their leader and cannot hold them long. If you wish for safe passage, I must have your secret."

After a long pause, Lily spoke. "We're here to retrieve a prophecy. Remus Lupin overheard a couple talking about our son's involvement in a prophecy."

"I can assure you," said Firenze, "that if there are any strange happenings coming to light that are revolving around your son, you are right to be cautious and careful. The stars tell the future, Lily Potter, and it would not be wise to go against their word. There are many great dangers that lie in the path ahead of you, as well as the path of your husband and son. Pick your battles wisely, and keep your friends close. I wish you luck, and I thank you for sharing your secret."

With that, Firenze dashed off into the forest. After a minute of complete silence, James spoke. "Do you think it's safe to keep going?"

"What other choice do we have?" asked Sirius.

After trekking through the forest for what seemed like forever, the trio emerged in a clearing. "I haven't been here in ages," James said incredulously.

Hagrid's hut loomed in front of them, seemingly massive. "It looks much bigger from the outside," noted Sirius.

Without hesitation, Sirius marched straight to Hagrid's door.

"Shouldn't we be a bit more discreet about this?" hissed Lily. "What if someone sees us? Someone besides Hagrid."

"No one's going to be here," said Sirius. "There's a Quidditch match, remember?"

"Right," Lily mumbled.

"Padfoot," James said, "what are we doing here if Hagrid's at a Quidditch match?"

"_Alohomora_," Sirius said. The door to the hut unlocked and Sirius pushed it open. There was a large clattering sound, as if something had broken, though when

James stepped through the doorway, he saw no one that could have caused the damage. "There isn't anyone here," James said without surprise. "Are we going to wait here for Hagrid or are we going to go on without Moony?"

Sirius shook his head. "We aren't waiting for anything," he smiled. "You can come out, Moony."

From behind a chair rose Remus Lupin, one of the missing Marauders. His hair was a disheveled mess, his eyes were bloodshot, and various cuts and bruises littered his body. "James, Lily," he said nervously, holding out his hand. "A pleasure, as always."

"Merlin, Moony," said James, shaking the hand Remus offered to him, "It's great to see you again. It feels like it's been ages."

"It has been too long," said Remus, releasing the handshake and wiping his hand on his pants.

"Listen, Remus," said Sirius heavily, "we need your help."

Remus' eyes widened. "You're on an adventure again, aren't you?" he said. "No," Remus lept over the chair and toward the door of Hagrid's hut. "No, I will not get myself caught up in a mess like that again. That fiasco four years ago was enough to last me a lifetime."

"Remus," said James gently, "it's been ten years since that happened. Not four."

Lupin's eyes focused slowly on James. "Has it really been that long?"

James and Sirius both nodded, and James glanced at Lily, begging her to join in on the confirmation.

"It's Harry's first year at Hogwarts now," said Lily. "You should see how much he's grown."

"Merlin," said Remus slowly. There was a long pause. "Have I really been here that long?"

"Well," Sirius said, "you haven't always been _here_, exactly." This was followed by a not-so-subtle punch in the arm given to Sirius by James. James coughed. "Yes," Sirius said in a lighter tone. "Yes, it's been ten years already. Listen, though. We really need your help, if you'll only listen for a moment. You have just a small part to play, and we'll make sure that you don't get caught. You can come back here again and hide amongst the furniture to your heart's content. If you'll just please help us with one small thing…"

There was a long pause. Finally, Remus said, "I'm listening."

**Thanks for the reviews in the last chapter! Keep reading and reviewing!**

**P.S. I hope the weather isn't as hot where you are as it is where I am!**


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